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Development and characterisation of bio-sheets from sugarcane bagasse as a potential packaging material

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Abstract

Plastic bags are widely used and significantly contribute to plastic pollution. Alternative bio-bags developed from natural and renewable sources are urgently needed to solve this problem. This study aimed to develop and characterise bio-sheets developed from sugarcane bagasse, which is an agricultural residue, for potential use as bio-sheet packaging material. Bio-sheets were developed from sugarcane bagasse at varying conditions of temperatures at 150°C, 160°C and 170°C. Starch content was varied at 2%, 4% and 6% and resin content at 1.25%, 2.5% and 3.75% of total weight. Developed bio-sheets were tested for their strength properties, wetting resistance and water absorption behaviour. Response surface methodology at optimised conditions of temperature at 160°C, 3% starch content and 3.75% resin content, showed that the bio-sheets at the optimised conditions had adequate physical properties with strip strength of 25.3 kgf, tear strength of 0.34 kgf, bursting strength of 2.39 kgcm−2, stiffness of 11 kgf and water absorption of 156%. Wetting resistance of ISO 2 which falls within the international standard of 100–160% was also observed. These properties suggest that the sugarcane bagasse bio-sheets can be optimised for the development of bio-bags.

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Acknowledgements

Technical support from Paper pilot plant and Ceramics department at Uganda Industrial Research Institute, www.uiri.go.ug, and Department of Mechanical Engineering of Makerere University, is gratefully acknowledged.

Funding

The project was self-funded.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

    Victor Alirach, Michael Lubwama & Peter Wilberforce Olupot

  2. Africa Center of Excellence in Materials, Product Development and Nanotechnology, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

    Michael Lubwama

  3. Paper Pilot Plant, Uganda Industrial Research Institute, Kampala, Uganda

    Loyce Kukunda

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  1. Victor Alirach
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  2. Michael Lubwama
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  3. Peter Wilberforce Olupot
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  4. Loyce Kukunda
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Contributions

VA: project conceptualisation, research design, experimentation, data analysis, funding; ML: project conceptualisation, research design, data analysis, manuscript write-up, project supervision; PWO: data analysis, manuscript write-up, project supervision; LK: research, experimentation, manuscript write up, data analysis.

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Correspondence to Michael Lubwama.

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Alirach, V., Lubwama, M., Olupot, P.W. et al. Development and characterisation of bio-sheets from sugarcane bagasse as a potential packaging material. Biomass Conv. Bioref. (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-023-04689-6

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